I would think you should use the language that you have to best connection to. So if you feel the emotion of love songs better in Chinese; use that. It’s more likely to have a connection to your subconscious mind.
David, your whiteboard trick would not work for me. I sometimes suffer from anxiety dreams (for example counting tall stacks of something, but I keep losing count or knocking over the stack and having to start again). Having to trace a number without having it look written more than once makes me shudder…it’s very very close to my anxiety dreams.
My trick for both insomnia and nightmares (both anxious and terrifying) is to imagine (while awake or while in bed trying to sleep) the most comfortable, soothing, non-annoying possible environment. Flesh it out, and get so accustomed to inhabiting it that it gets faster and easier to reenter when needed.
For example, an old girlfriend suffered from nightmares. She was a dog lover, and also loved the beach, so when I’d notice she was having a nightmare, I’d gently wake her, and whisper in her ear a reminder to go to the island of golden retrievers. At first, I’d describe the island in detail…all soothing comfort and doting happy doggies on white fine sands. In time, I just had to refer to it briefly, and she’d smile and go back to sleep. Eventually, she’d just do it herself, instinctually.
You can train yourself to do this, in times of insomnia or nightmare. It becomes your safe zone, the leading edge of a nice dream. And the more you do it, the more effective it is.
Eventually it becomes a reflex (akin to the “relaxation response”) that triggers automatically in the event of any sort of night problem.
Yes, Jim, the practice I mentioned is not suitable for everyone. If anxiety or obsessiveness come into play, it can spoil it. That’s one reason I recommend the preparatory drill. If you do the preparatory drill, I think you are less likely to get obsessive when you do the practice.
There are ways you can soften this exercise too. One is to get rid of the numbers – 999, 998 etc, and just over-write the word again and again. Another detail you can change is that you do allow yourself to write a little sloppily (and ‘over the edge’ of the existing writing). Another is to make it more social, and distribute the responsibility: For example, imagine that someone else is participating with you. You can take turns at the letters. Ideally, this should be a person you have some harmony with, but not passion.
When I was a child and was scared at night, my mother gave me a great tip. She said to make a list in my head of all of my favorite children’s books. That used to do the trick.
Even the ancient trick of counting sheep (which could easily be changed to counting puppies) can bring up obsessiveness in some people – they can worry that they are losing count. An easy way to vary that is to just imagine the puppies with a different colored ribbons around their necks, and you just have to comment on the ribbon color instead of keep count. So you say ‘Red puppy… green puppy… yellow puppy … green puppy’, and you imagine the colors randomly. This can be done while you imagine the puppies coming though a gap in a fence, or can be done as you watch a miriad of puppies playing.
I tried David’s method last night. Work pretty well. But I lose count after 997, drift to something else, then resume at 996 again to 994, then other thoughts dominate again, then 993,…so boring that I feel it’s time to fall into sleep.
To imagine a soothing or comfortable environment doesn’t work for me. The vague and unstable image will soon give way to more complicated and yet automatic thoughts, analysis,… For me even the soothest environment will trigger other thoughts, that the image itself will need my effort to sustain in my mind.
Even the counting method will give way to other thoughts. I could expect this is when the method will fail. But at least it’s easier for me to return to a few letters than a colorful image.
I think the key to cure insomnia due to constant thoughts (like mine)is to focus(loosely) our brain to something which will not leads to further thoughts. The brain is occupied in just that boring thoughts and finally it gives up. For insomnia due to anxiety/terrifying feelings (like Jim) it’s more important to induce a feeling of peace and safe.
What if, the insomnia is due to both?-- Anxiety and worries trigger the brain’s attempt to rationalize and analyze, and yet such thoughts fails to sooth the brain. So a vicious circle begins…
I’m definitely not an expert at this, but it seems to me that trying to do anything is going to prevent sleep. I think to cure insomnia, the conditions enabling you to sleep have to be set up throughout each day. Such as not eating a ton before bed, going into bed around the time it gets dark out, eating a clean diet, getting everything done that you need to in the day, exercising to release extra energy, being creative each day, only using your bed for sleep, reading a story book before bed, etc. Insomnia is a sure sign that you’re unbalanced in your daily life…unless it’s some chemical problem.
But like I said, I’m no expert. It only seems that the more you are thinking, the less you are drifting off into sleep.
-Scott
Hi Scott, all the things you mentioned are good and important. So is the technique I mentioned. For many people, it’s a very, very, very good technique, though it is not for everyone, as Jim brought out. Why don’t you give it a try?
Scott said:
but it seems to me that trying to do anything is going to prevent sleep
Check it out! It would be interesting what number you get down to on your first try… 
I’ll try it out…I’m aiming to get down to “1”. I think by the time I reach it, my boredom will have shot me into the highest state of ultimate absolute pure enlightenment ever known to man.
-Scott
Any trouble sleeping I have had has been well solved by a cup of chamomile tea right before bed.
Interestingly, I have not had many problems sleeping (if any) since starting AYP.
I think you’ll fall asleep first, unfortunately.
Oh, and no cheating now. Remember to ‘write’ nice and slowly too.
Scott, did you try it? What number did you get down to?
hey all im new to the forum…really like all ur suggestions.i’ve been suffering from insomnia for 4 yrs now…its highly irritating and anxiety causing…! I have been on hard core medication for a while now and there are some days (cud be a whole week) where i still dont sleep…its ruining my life…Can anyone adivce on what anulom vilom of yoga breathing they do or know is good for this and wht time shud it be done…I have practiced yoga but never religiously but now I want to do the breathing bit of it everyday! Please advice !!! The weird part is my whole life before the sudden insomnia i have slept very well…i’ve got everything of mine tested blood, thyroid etc and alls normal too…so i have nooo idea whts causing it…help
Hi Sunkar,
I find Anulom Vinom good before meditation or you may wish to try before sleeping.It naturally calms the mind.Another method is to chant a mantra silently as you go to sleep.Not only do you get a calming effect but also get benefit of the mantra as you sleep.
L&L
Dave
Hi Sunkar and welcome to the forum!
Insomnia can be a very difficult problem. Knowing what causes it would be a big help in trying to remedy it. Did anything happen 4 years ago that you can put in connection with it? Have you tried David Obsidians BORING method of counting back from 999 described on the previous page of this thread? It seems that should be quite effective. I would also recommend that you start with AYP deep meditation if you haven’t already. The inner silence developing will help the mind relax to get to sleep at night.
Hi…I used to experience these things…exercise …whole body workout …usually give me a really restful night.
It’s worth a try
What Nsantoo said.
hey all…is there any help reg insomnia…i have had it since a long time now 5 yrs…and have been taking seroquel,mirtazapine,zolpidem for it…its helped but i get bad episodes of not sleeping atall…and it really stresses me out and makes me anxious was wondering wht form poses and breathing of yoga is good and if anyone has tried any of it and its helped?? HELP!!!
hey all…is there any help reg insomnia…
Yes, there’s a lot here actually. And what is your opinion of it so far?
Hi,
I am concerned as to whether you got any relief?
I was so scared at the beginning I started sleeping with my parents and then they became scared and they woke night after night until my mom almost went crazy…my other family members came to our house 3/4 of them ended up in the hospital…most of them still afraid of me…I just thought it was just a big coincidence that occurred(ps this is a mind thing that has to be controlled)
anyway I was guided …to my guru and my problem was solved not immediately of course over a week or two…and thank god the spirtual path solved all my ailments(those I didn’t even know I had)
if you email me (nsantoo@yahoo.com)I can tell you what remedy worked for me if you are interested…
Hi, Im new to the forum, but not new to AYP which I have followed/practiced for some time (and have been doing TM meditation and other practices for about 30 years).
I have found a variant of mantra meditation very usefull for sleeping problems.
When one cant sleep there is a “resistance” towards relaxation and stillness.
You could also say there is some (subconscious) pain/tension that is stuck.
Very often this will also show, if I try to meditate to find deep inner peace, so that I will be able to sleep afterwards.
The result for me, if I try to meditate, is that I repeate the mantra for a short time, I experience this tension or subtle pain.
What I do then, is to be mindfull of the pain (as described very well in tne latest book by Richard Moss or in books by Tolle). I use this as my main practice, but some times pick up the mantra for a while, which will then reactivate (or bring into consciousness) more of the “pain” usually on a deeper level. I then shift back to mindfulness, just watching the pain/uncomfortness in the body. This alternating between mantra and mindfulness, is to me the safest and fastest way of getting past the tension that prevented sleep.
Its actually in accordance with the TM-instruktion, where you gently put your awareness on the body if disturbing emotions or thoughts come up.
AND mindfulness meditation can be done for as long as you want - sometimes I have been doing it for 2 hours. And even if I then miss these 2 hours of sleep, I usually find myself very awake and present the following day.
Hope this can be helpful to somebody.
Hi Presence. Welcome to the AYP forum. We’re glad you’re here.
Kathy